Drawer-locking device



F. A. MARCINEK. DRAWER LOCKING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25,1920,

Patented May 31,1921.

stares earner caries.

FERDINAND A. MABCINEK, or orrroeeo, ILLINo s, essreNon TO J. v. MEYERING TRUNK COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINors, a conronArIoN or ILLINoIs.

DRAWER-LOCKING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FERDINAND A. MAR- CINEK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, Cook county, and State of Illinois,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drawer-Locking Devices, of which the following is declared to be a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to drawer locking devices, and it is especially adapted for use in looking a tier of drawers such'as is used in wardrobe trunks, although its use is not to be limited thereto. The principal object of the present invention is to provide automatically operating drawer locking mechanism for a tier of drawers, controlled from one drawer of the tier. Another object is to provide drawer lockingmechanism for a,

tier-of drawers, operable from one look controlled drawer of the tier and acting to lock all of the drawers, whenever the lock controlled drawer is closed and locked. Another object is to provide automatic drawer locking mechanism for atier of drawers arranged to unlock or permit withdrawal of any of the drawers of the tier whenever the lock controlled drawer is opened. Another object is to provide drawer locking means for a tier of drawers which requires no other attention than that of locking the lock controlled drawer to insure the locking of all of the drawers of the tier.

Other objects and advantages will occur in the course of this specification, and with all of said objects and advantages in view, this invention consists in drawer locking mechanism comprising drawer retaining members arranged to overlap the drawers or projections thereof, to prevent withdrawal of the drawers, and having means whereby the drawer retaining members are moved into such overlapping position by one of the drawers, when the latter is moved to its fully closed position. It further consists in drawer locking mechanism in which the drawer retainingmembers are automatically moved out of the path of all ofthe drawers of the tier when one of the drawers is opened. It further consists in drawer locking mechanism automatically operated by one drawer. The invention further consists in' the several novel features hereinafter fully set forth and more particularly defined in the claims.

Specification of Letters Patent.

7 Patented May 31, 19521.

Application filed October 25, 1920. Serial No. 419,309.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the drawer section and a fragment of the garment section of a wardrobe trunk, showing a simple embodiment of the present invention ap: plied thereto; Fig. 2 is a fragmental, hori zontal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; ig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 except that the drawer is illustrated in partly open position; Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a fragment of one of the upper corners of the drawer section of the trunk; Fig. 5 is a detail, fragmental, vertical cross-section, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4E and Fig. 6 is a detail, fragmental, vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Referring to said drawing, which illustrates a simple embodiment of the invention applied to a wardrobe trunk, the reference character 10 designates the drawer section and 11 a fragment of the garment section of a wardrobe trunk of ordinary construction. The two sections are hinged together along a vertical line as usual, and are provided with locking mechanism for locking the two sections together. The drawer section comprises the usual box-like cabinet 13 in which are slidably supported by strips, cleats, partitions or the like 14, a. tier of drawers 15, 16, which are provided with handles'to facilitate their withdrawal. One of the drawers, for instance the uppermost one 15, is provided with a lock 17 preferably of the spring bolt type, the bolt of which engages with a keeper-18 secured to the underside of the'top member 13 of the cabinet 13, and locks the drawer to the cabinet. A spring bolt lock is preferably employed, although not necessarily so, but the spring bolt lock is preferable because it automatically locks the drawer whenever the same is pushed in to its closed position,

Extending along the sides '13 of the easing 13, and movably secured thereto, are two drawer retaining members 19 that are adapted, 'when' inoperative position, to overlap the adjacent corner portions ofthe drawers or other projections thereof and thereby prevent withdrawal thereof, so long as said retaining members are held in an operative position. Said retaining members are also adapted to be swung out of the path of movement of the drawers, whereby they may be freely withdrawn or replaced in the cabinet.

In the form of the invention illustrated, the retaining members 19 are illustrated as comprising metal strips supported on and at the front edges of the sides 13* of the casing by hinges 20 arranged at places along their length. Said strips extend along and overlap the adjacent corners of the entire tier of drawers, when occupying their locked position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, l and 5, but

.when swung to the position illustrated in Fig. 3, they are out of the path of movement of the drawers, thereby permitting unobstructed movement thereof.

Means are provided for automatically moving said retaining members from the position shown in Fig. 8 to that shown in Fig. 2, whenever the lock controlled drawer is pushed in to its fully closed position, and said actuating'means will now be described.

Secured to each drawer retaining member 19 is a link or strap or other connecting device 21 which extends along the side of the lock controlled drawer 15 and is provided at its inner or rear end with a shouldered part or other abutment 22 lying in the path of movement of said drawer and adapted to be engaged thereby when it reaches a position adjacent its fully closed position. Each link or strap 21 is preferably connected to its drawer retaining member by a hinged or other connection 23, and if desired a guide strip 24 issecured to the side 13" of the cabinet, through which the link or strap 21 extends and isthereby prevented from swinging considerably into the interior of the cabinet. The parts are so arranged and proportioned that the lock controlled drawer engages the shouldered parts or abutments of the links 21 just before it reaches its fully closed position, and during the remainder of its closing movement, the drawer draws the links backward, thereby swinging the drawer retaining members 19 over the adjacent front edges of all of the drawers. The shouldered part or abutment 22 may be formed by bending up the rear end of the link or strap 21 as shown. The front of the top drawer wall may be notched at 25 to permit the drawer to freely pass the hinged connection between the link 21 and drawer retaining member 19.

In use and assuming that the drawers are locked in place, the proper key is inserted in the lock 17, the bolt thereof withdrawn from the keeper 18 and the drawer l5 pulled outward. ,As the drawer is moved forward it encounters the drawer retaining members 19 and swings them outward from the drawers and away from each other, permitting the lock controlled drawer to pass them, and at the same time releasing all of the other drawers of the tier, whereby any of the drawers may be opened. To lockthe drawers care should first be taken to see that all of the drawers, except the lock con trolled drawer, are first closed and said lock controlled drawer is then closed. The drawer retaining members are thereupon swung in front of the entire tier of drawers, by reason of the engagement of the lock controlled drawer with the actuating members 21 and when the belt of the lock 17 be comes engaged with its keeper, all of the drawers are automatically locked in place against withdrawal.

It is obvious that by providing drawer locking mechanism under the control of one drawer, the locking and unlocking of the drawers is effected by the one lock controlled drawer, and that when a spring bolt lock is employed no other operations are necessary to lock all of the drawers of the tier than that of closing the drawers, the lock controlled one being closed last.

lVhile the invention has been shown and described as applied to a wardrobe trunk, it is to be understood that its use is not to be confined thereto, but that it is applicable to cabinets or cases which contain a tier of drawers. It is particularly adaptable to wardrobe trunks, however, because of its peculiar construction and arrangement,

these being designed to withstand the usual shocks and hard usage to which wardrobe trunks are put. a

More or less variation of the exact details of construction is possible without departing from the spirit of this invention; I de sire, therefore, not to limit myself to the exact form of the construction shown and described, but intend, in the following claims, to point out all of the invention disclosed herein.

1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A drawer locking device for locking a tier of drawers, one of which is look controlled, comprising two drawer retaining members, one at eachside of the tier of drawers, and arranged to overlap the front of the drawers, and means operated by said lock controlled drawer for simultaneously 1110V1I1Qj both of said drawer retaining mem bers into operative retaining position overlapping the fronts of said c rawers.

2. A drawer locking device for locking a tier of drawers, one of which is lock controlled, comprising two hingedly supported drawer retaining members, one at each side of the tier of drawers, and links hingedly connected to said drawer retaining members and having shouldered parts located in the path of the closing movement of the lock controlled drawer.

3. A drawer locking device for locking a tier of drawers, comprising two drawer retaining members, one adjacent each side of the tier of drawers and arranged to overlap parts of said drawers when in operative position, and movable from said operative position to a position out of the path of movement of the drawers, and actuating members connected to said drawer retaining members and having shouldered parts arranged in the path of the closing movement of one of said drawers, whereby said actuating members are moved back and therewith the drawer retaining members are swung in front of said parts of the drawers when said one drawer is moved to its fully closed position.

4. A drawer locking device for looking a tier of drawers, one of which is look controlled, comprising two drawer retaining members located at the front of the drawers, one adjacent each side of the tier of drawers and arranged to overlap the front of the drawers when in operative position and movable from, said operative position-to one out of the path of the movement of the drawers, and actuating memabers connected to said retaining members and having parts arranged in the path of the closing movements of the lock controlled drawer, whereby said actuating members are drawn back and therewith the retaining members are swung in front of all of the drawers of the tier when said lock controlled drawer is moved to its fully closed position.

5. A drawer locking device for looking a tier of drawers, one of which is look controlled, comprising two drawer retaining strips located at the front of the drawers, one adjacent each side of the tier and arranged to overlap the front of said drawers when in an operative position and movable from said operative position to one out of.

the path of the drawers, and links hingedly connected to said retaining strips and having bent end portions forming shoulders ary lock controlled drawer is moved to its fully closed position.

6. The combination with a drawer casing of a wardrobe trunk and a tier of drawers in said casing, one of which is look controlled, of two drawer locking members hingedly supported on said casing and arranged to overlap said drawers when in one position, links hingedly connected to said drawer retaining members and having shouldered parts arranged in the path of the closing movement of the lock controlled drawer, and link guiding strips secured to said casing.

FERDINAND A. MARCINEK. 

